Apparatus for constructing breast cups

ABSTRACT

Breast cups having various types of cuts or configurations are initially molded from basically flat sheets of flexible fabric on a bust cup mold having a prescribed configuration. The resulting, three-dimensional molded fabric cup then is cut by a die having a plurality of cutting surfaces, at least a portion of the outermost cutting surfaces serving as guides for alignment with the outer perimeter of the molded cup and a portion of the cutting surfaces cutting the molded breast cup to the desired shape resulting in a breast cup having a size and configuration differing from that of a bust cup initially molded.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 830,398, filed Sept. 6, 1977,now U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,853.

BACKGROUND, BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to molded fabric breast receiving andsupporting members, and more particularly to the molding of the membersfrom a relatively flat fabric, and to the die cutting of the moldedfabric.

It has been the conventional practice to form generally flat fabricsinto three-dimensional brassiere cups by cutting, fitting and sewing aplurality of fabric pieces into the desired shape, or by molding and diecutting a generally flat piece of fabric into the desired shape.

Cutting and sewing a plurality of fabric segments to form the cupportions of the brassiere is not only costly and time consuming but alsoresults in undesirable seams and ridges.

Cups incorporating the more natural contour of the breast have beenmolded by heat setting thermoplastic yarns of a single piece of fabricinto a given cup configuration. The molded cup is cut from thesurrounding unmolded fabric and integrated in a brassiere construction.Generally breast-shaped molds having the desired peripheral surface ordegree of contouring are relatively expensive to fabricate. Therefore,the cost involved in providing new molds for each variation in the cutor shape of a cup has been prohibitive.

The present invention is directed to a system for obtaining suchvariations or modifications in the cut of a cup molded from a fabricpiece while utilizing the same mold, thus eliminating the need for adifferent mold for each cup having a different cut.

Briefly, breast receiving cups are formed from relatively flat fabricsheets of thermoplastic yarns by heat setting selected portions of thefabric while in a mold of a desired peripheral contour. Subsequently,the three-dimensional cup is severed by a die, having a plurality ofcutting edges or surfaces, to the desired cut or shape.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of a newand improved process for making one piece brassiere cups.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a system for formingbreast cups of various cuts or shapes after heat setting portions of afabric piece to the desired contour within a common mold.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new system forefficiently manufacturing at relatively low cost, brassiere cups havingvarious cuts from fabrics heat set on a common mold.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of the invention taken with thedrawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet of fabric in its flat form priorto molding;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fabric within a mold;

FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of the female and male membersof the mold and the molded cup prior to cutting of the cup to thedesired shape;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the breast cup before it is cut from thesurrounding unmolded portions of the fabric sheet;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of an open type die having plural cuttingedges;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the fabric illustrating the molded cupportion and the surrounding unmolded portions;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the fabric of FIG. 7 and illustrating theseveral pieces to be discarded after severing with a die of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the molded fabric cup unit of the desiredshape after severing with the die of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of a conventional die; and

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the molded fabric cup unit of a desiredshape after severing with a die of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, the fabric section or sheet 20, formed at least partially ofthermoplastic yarns, is illustrated in its generally flattened stagebefore being molded or deformed by heat setting the yarns. The fabricsheet 20 may be of various yarns and fabric constructions, knitted orwoven, wherein at least a portion of the yarns are capable of being setor stabilized by heat. Preferably, the sheet 20 is of a lightweight,sheer, flexible layer of fabric.

In one example of the invention, the fabric sheet 20 may be placed in amold 26 between complementary sections 22 and 24, FIGS. 2 and 3. Themolded sections 22, 24 may be heated to the desired temperature, whichmay be within the range of 350° Fahrenheit depending upon the particularfibers being heat set, in a hot drawing process, or the fabric sheet 20may be heated by a suitable means prior to being deformed and setbetween the mold sections 22, 24. Depending upon the types of yarn used,etc., the fabric may be molded by various other means, such aspositioning the fabric sheet over a single mold section within a steamchamber, or by other means wherein a controlled wet or dry heat isapplied to all portions of the sheet to be molded. The temperature towhich the fabric is exposed and the duration of the heat treatment arecontrolled such that the yarns are heat set without undue softening. Themold 26 is shaped and formed to the desired peripheral contour and maybe of various suitable materials and constructions. While a single moldand single piece of fabric have been illustrated, it is to be understoodthat a plurality of fabric sheets may be molded simultaneously. In themold illustrated, preferably, there is no space between the outersurface of the male section 24 and the inner surface of the femalesection 22 when the sections are closed.

After molding, the resulting fabric sheet 20 includes athree-dimensional molded fabric surface 28 defining a breast cup section30 having a prescribed peripheral contour corresponding to the contourof the complementary sections 22, 24 of the mold 26, and unmolded,fabric sections 32. The breast cup 30 has a marginal edge 34 whichconforms to the base of the mold 26, that is, that peripheral portion ofthe mold surrounding the three-dimensional portions of the complementarysections 22, 24. The heat set cup 30 resists wrinkling and tends toremain in its molded three-dimensional shape.

The sheet 20 of FIG. 4, having molded and unmolded sections, now may besevered along the marginal edge 34 by an open type die 36 having acutting edge 38, FIG. 10. Cutting of the fabric along the marginal edge34 results in a molded breast cup 40 having the shape and configurationas shown by FIG. 11.

In prior practice, when it became desirable or necessary to alter ormodify the shape or configuration of a cup 40, it has been necessary toprovide a new mold for each change or modification. The fabrication ofsuch molds is expensive and time consuming.

The present invention permits brassiere cups having a plurality ofshapes and configurations to be molded upon a common mold andselectively cut by new and improved dies having a plurality of cuttingedges or surfaces.

FIG. 5 illustrates one such die 44 having outer peripheral cutting edges46 and cutting edges 48 spaced inwardly of the outer edges 46.

The peripheral cutting edges 46 of the die 44 generally have the sameconfiguration as the marginal edge 34 of the three-dimensional moldedcup section 30, FIGS. 4 and 7, after molding.

The outer cutting edges 46 serve as a guide for alignment with amarginal edge 34 as well as cutting the fabric to sever the unmoldedsections or portions 32 from the molded cup 30. The inner cutting edges48 are spaced inwardly of at least portions of the cutting edges 46 andserve to remove selected molded portions 50 from the cup 30 to form anew cup 52 having a modified shape or configuration, as illustrated byFIG. 9. It will be obvious that dies, such as die 44, having cuttingedges 48 in a variety of configurations may be spaced inwardly of theouter cutting edges 46 depending upon the desired shape or contour of abrassiere cup. Such dies eliminate the need for a different mold foreach different cut of brassiere cup.

The outside perimeter of the die, the cutting edges 46 space outwardlyof cutting edges 48, are required due to the molded shape of the fabric,and to prevent wrinkling or ripples in the molded areas during cuttingby the edges 48. A plurality of fabric sheets 20, each having molded andunmolded sections, may be cut simultaneously.

Rubber or other soft resilient material may be provided between thecutting edges 46, 48, as shown by FIG. 6, if the fabric has a tendencyto ripple when die cutting.

It is contemplated that the breast cups 52 may be employed with bathingsuit tops, halters, breast receiving liners for garments, etc., as wellas brassieres.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for shaping a molded breast cuphaving a smooth, seamless interior and exterior from a unitary fabricsheet having unmolded portions and a molded section, said molded sectiondefining a three-dimensional peripheral contour of a prescribedconfiguration provided with a marginal edge contiguous with the unmoldedportions, the improvement comprising a first means for severing theunmolded fabric portions from the molded section along the marginaledge, and a second means for removing selected portions of the moldedsection inwardly of said marginal edge to alter the size andconfiguration of the three-dimensional, peripherally contoured moldedsection, said first and second means being mounted upon a commonsupport.
 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said first meansincludes a cutting surface having a configuration correspondinggenerally to the configuration of said molded section marginal edge. 3.Apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said second means includes atleast one cutting surface spaced inwardly from said first cuttingsurface for severing portions of said molded section to alter thethree-dimensional peripheral contour thereof.
 4. Apparatus as recited inclaim 3, and further including resilient means positioned intermediatethe cutting surface of said first means and the cutting surface of saidsecond means to prevent rippling of the sheet when cutting.
 5. Apparatusas in claim 1, wherein said cutting surface of said first means and saidcutting surface of said second means are spaced from said support meansequal distance which are sufficient to cut a plurality of fabric sheetssimultaneously.
 6. Apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said secondcutting means includes a plurality of discrete members each havingcutting surfaces spaced inwardly of said first cutting surface. 7.Apparatus as recited in claim 6, and further including resilient meanspositioned intermediate the cutting surfaces of said first means andsaid second means, and intermediate the cutting surfaces of saiddiscrete members.
 8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein saidresilient means extends outwardly from said common support a distancesubstantially equal to the outermost edges of said cutting surfaces ofsaid first means and said second means.
 9. Apparatus as recited in claim8, wherein said resilient means is soft rubber.